Dominance or deterrence? The role of military power in addressing challenges to U.S. national security interests

Abstract What should be the role of military power in addressing challenges to U.S. national security interests? Should it just be used to deter armed attack by rival states? Or should military power be employed to achieve broader national objectives? The rise of great powers, global climate change, pandemic disease, and other factors and trends in the international security environment have prompted debate about the role of military power in U.S. grand strategy. This article addresses these questions by exploring the concepts of dominance and deterrence in international relations, ongoing security challenges and associated requirements for armed forces, and how military power can be integrated with other instruments of statecraft to protect and advance U.S. national interests.